Protect and Serve
by The Burning Cheese
Summary: Shimon is a firebender who managed to join the Metalbending police force due to his father's political influence. Amon and the Equalists are rising, and a conspiracy runs inside the police force and the council. Will he be able to sort this out with his limited power within the politics of Republic City? This story starts before episode 3, 'Revelation'. Please Comment and Review!
1. Chapter 1

**Protect and Serve**

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: The story starts right before Episode 3, 'Revelation'**

**Chapter 1**

The room was dark, surrounded by metal walls at all sides, decorated by ornate markings. The only source of light in the room was a lamp, which was swinging back and forth, creaking into rhythm. A metal table stood in the middle of the room, with two metal chairs opposite each other. A metalbender police stood behind the prisoner, who was a middle-aged man with stylish, waxed hair rising high, with grey streaks along both sides of his head. He wore colorful clothes. However, his most annoying trait was his smug smile as he knew that the evidence wouldn't hold up enough charges to deny him bail, which a rich man of his stature could easily pay.

Shimon placed a document on the table, leaning forwards. "Lightning bolt Zolt." He spoke with a serious voice, his hawk-like eyes staring straight at the criminal's face.

"That's me." Zolt retorted. "Here to babysit me before I get released?"

"You're a criminal, Zolt."

"Yeah, sure is. I plead guilty to wrecking the restaurant down at Sixth Street this morning." He raised both his hands in mockery. "And now I am coinciding completely with the law, which allows me to pay bail for my release, unless of course, you made it so that I am not allowed to pay bail. However, I doubt that would be the case, since it's only vandalism." He shrugged. "Now, when am I going home?"

**Eighteen Months Earlier**

Shimon lowered himself from the airship onto a roof using a mechanical cable designed for non benders as he was ordered to intercept a violent street chase. Although he was a firebender, not a metalbender, his father has used his political influence in the fire nation to get him the job of being the Fire Nation liaison in the Republic City police force since he was twenty-two years old. His father claimed that he should go out into the world and find his own experiences, but in truth Shimon knew that his father just wanted to spend more time with his new mother-in-law, which Shimon held no grudge for. He never cared much for his own family anyways. He was currently twenty-four years old. His hair was traditional Fire Nation black; however, he inherited his tanned skin pigment from his biological mother, who was a Northern water tribeswoman.

The metalbenders acted swiftly, as they lowered themselves onto the streets and conjured a large stone wall out of Earth to block the car's path. The first car crashed head first into the wall, grey smoke rising from it. The men in the vehicle leapt off it and started running, but were cut short as they were leaving the vehicle as the metalbending police used their metal chords to restrain the runners. One of the runners threw out a wide kick, spraying a curtain of flame to cover his escape, but more policemen dropped in from above and formed walls blocking both sides of the alley the firebender was in, while the others leapt down from the roof around the alley. The firebender put up a desperate fight, throwing up curtains of fire to keep the metalbenders away, but the policemen were fearless as one charged through the fire and tackled the man to the ground before restraining the firebender with his metal chords.

The second car approached the stone wall, but suddenly, one of the men in the second car earthbended an earth ramp in front of the barricade, causing the car to go up the ramp and sail over the barricade. Shimon dethatched his steel cable from the airship and leapt across the roofs and gave chase to the car. A metalbender fired his metal chord at the car, which attached itself to the car's rear bumper. However, the car's force was too strong, dragging the policeman along with it. The car turned hard as the metalbender dethatched his cable from the car, sending him flying through a shop window.

A cable fired from the airship, metalbended with accuracy by two policemen on the ground, sending it into the car's rear bumper again. This time, however, the airship had much greater weight than the car, causing it to jerk violently. The men in the driver seat smashed their head into the dashboard before the car suddenly stopped. One of the men in the backseat opened the car door and fell off it before regaining his balance again as Shimon lowered himself onto the street along with a squad of metalbenders.

The man stood up, angry. "Do you know who I am!" the man yelled. "The name," he continued, before making a circular motion with both his hands, sparks emitting from his protruding two fingers from each of his hands. "Is Lightning Bolt Zolt!" he shot one of his hands forwards directly at Shimon. However, Shimon has seen this technique used numerous times in the Fire Nation and his father had hired the best master he could find to teach him firebending arts, which covered the concept of both lightning generation and redirection.

He moved his two fingers and directed them at the lightning, which went straight for him. He could feel the crippling electric current running through his left arm, directing it to his stomach, remembering his firebending lessons in the Fire Nation. Finally, he forced the electric current through his right arm to his hand, which was aimed at Zolt. The lightning bolt went straight to the criminal. The current from Zolt's lightning bolt would not be enough to kill, as obviously, killing a police officer while having little chance to escape wouldn't be a good idea. To his surprise, Zolt raised up his hands again.

Lightning redirection was a tiring technique to use, which puts a large amount of strain on the wearer depending on the strength of the electric current, and Shimon was unable to recover in time. He wasn't counting on Zolt knowing how to redirect lightning as well, and he could already feel the pain of the lightning that Zolt was going to redirect at him.

Suddenly, an earth fist rose up from the ground, restricting Zolt's movements, stopping his lightning redirection. The electric current, however, was already in the criminal's body, and with nowhere to go, unleashed great pain. Zolt screamed out as his nicely waxed hair shot up as he was being shocked by his own lightning, which caused him to fall unconscious with various burns on his body. A metalbender moved towards Zolt, releasing him from the earth fist with a single hand motion. Shimon looked up to see his savior.

"Chief Beifong!" he realized it was the chief of police, saluting. "Thanks for the assistance, ma'am."

"There are more people in the car." The police chief commanded, ignoring him. "Arrest them."

"Thanks chief. If it wasn't for you I'd be roasting on the ground."

"I gave an order, officer. You are going to follow it regardless of your parentage."

"They're all apprehended, chief Beifong."

Lin Beifong now was at her wit's end. She looks upwards, annoyed. "Then what are you standing around here for?" She said abrasively, pointing at the airship.

"Right away ma'am." Shimon backed off, surprised by Beifong's attitude, then he thought of a joke he had wished since that he never said out loud. "Is it that time of the month, ma'am?" he said, scratching his head, with an awkward smile.

"GET OUT OF HERE!" Lin Beifong shouted at him, furious. "NOW!" Shimon fired grappling hook himself onto the airship as soon as he could.

**The Present**

Suddenly, the world was a blur, and he started to fall sideways, unable to control his own body. He stopped himself with his forearm before he hit the floor, before pushing himself back up on his chair, groaning. Zolt's stupid grin has not left his face, and Shimon was sure Zolt was going to tease him about his affliction.

"What was that, officer? Forgotten to take your pills?" The firebender teased him.

"Shut up, Zolt, if you don't want your face to be caved in." Shimon replied, annoyed and tired.

The walls to the interrogation room opened up, two metalbending police officers stood guarding the doorway. A bald man in tank top and combat trousers stood in the doorway. This man was not a stranger to Shimon. The bald man was one of Zolt's lackeys who deal with finances of Zolt's triad. Although the fact was obvious, there had been no solid evidence that could put him in jail, since Zolt seemed to safeguard the blad man and keep his records clean specifically to deal with Zolt's personal emergencies, such as paying bail.

"That's my cue, officer. See you later." Zolt spoke, standing up from his chair, mockingly waving at the obviously irritated police officer.

"I'll escort you out." Shimon nodded, standing up as well.

"No need, officer. Wouldn't want to put more strain on that frail body o' yours."

Shimon has suffered from this affliction since he was a child, occasionally experiencing dizziness episodes, which usually sends him to the ground, unable to control his body. Over a few seconds, the pain would go away, but it was still something he was not proud of. Coupled with his low stamina and weak body, no military or police force would take him if it weren't for his father's political influence.

"Shut up and walk, Zolt." He grabbed the criminal by the arm. "Guard, undo his cuffs." He asked one of the guards, who metalbended the handcuffs apart.

The hallway was littered with police officers and a long queue of civilians waiting to report crimes committed against them. The walls were metal and ornately decorated just like the interrogation room, with two steel chandeliers hanging from the ceiling and rows of lanterns lined up on the walls. Two policemen were taking a prisoner to the cells. The prisoner was wriggling and struggling to get free of the metalbenders' holds, to no avail. Two metalbenders were playing Pai Sho behind the reception desk, leaving what appeared to be a new recruit to do their jobs for them. A woman was crying, with her husband comforting her as a policeman noted her accounts down on a notepad. They finally arrived at the front gate, which was opened by two policemen standing beside them. The sun was setting and orange sunlight shone upon them, reflecting off his metal armor. Zolt's classic car was illegally parked right in front of the police station. Shimon decided to give Zolt a little payback of his own.

"Sorry, but your car is parked illegally. I'll have to give you a parking ticket." He explained, trying to hide his smile.

Zolt glared at him, annoyed. However, the criminal backed off. "Fine, just get on with it." He said grudgingly. After Shimon was finished writing down the parking ticket, he satisfyingly handed it over to the triad boss. The bald man reached inside the car and opened the door, and the car exploded.

Shimon was sent flying across the footpath onto the ground, his armor protecting him from the car debris. When he got back on one knee, the smoke was starting to clear. The bald man was lying face down next to the car, unmoving and Zolt was coughing in the smoke. Apparently, Zolt used his own subordinate as a human shield. Shimon turned around and found the metalbender policemen who were guarding the front gate on the ground, incapacitated. He narrowed his eyes and saw another figure in the smoke approaching Zolt from behind. He shouted to warn the mob boss, but it was too late. Zolt took four quick consecutive quick jabs to his arm, weakening him. At that point, Shimon realized that they were being attacked by chi blockers.

The masked man inside the smoke used a thin chord of rope connected to weights to tie up Zolt's arms. However, Zolt was a skilled firebender and kicked wide at the chi blocker, throwing out a torrent of flame. The chi blocker, however, ducked down below the fire and threw out four quick strikes up Zolt's leg, making the firebender fall over. Shimon was on his feet again, and ran to Zolt's assistance. However, another masked man jumped out between them and struck Shimon's left arm multiple times, trying to block his chi. The metalbending police force's armor, however, was impervious to such techniques.

Shimon has extensively studied chi blocking, and although he cannot do it himself, he knew the theory to it, and he also knew that chi blockers usually resort to their superior agility to outfight their enemies. He knew that a simple strike wouldn't be successful as chi blockers would easily be able to evade and counterattack. He gave a low kick at the chi blocker's leg, sending fire onto the ground. The chi blocker leapt upwards to dodge this strike. However, Shimon had his tactics planned. As he struck the ground, there would be no way to dodge except up. While chi blockers may have inhuman agility, they cannot maneuver once they are in the air. While they are mid air, they rely on various forces to move, unlike when they are on the ground, where they can move freely using their body making Chi blockers sitting ducks in mid-air. Shimon threw out a solid fire punch right into the chi blocker's gut, slamming the assailant onto the ground, hard.

Suddenly, he heard a crackle behind him. He turned his head around and saw another masked man armed with two electrified kali sticks. He pivoted himself around to face the attacker, but he was too late. The kali sticks landed on his highly conductive metal armor, sending an electric current into him. His limbs went numb, and he felt an enormous pressure in his chest before his face met the ground. His body was shuddering, and his heartbeat was so fast and loud that he could hear it. The chi blockers carried the unconscious triad boss into the back of a truck, followed by the masked man wielding electrified kali sticks. The truck's engine started and the masked men started driving off. Shimon decided that he wasn't giving up, and flipped himself over, moving his hands in a circular motion, two fingers protruding from each hand. The world around him was getting blurry as he launched his right hand out, sending out a lightning bolt. His attack, however, missed completely and struck a neighboring Cabbage Corp billboard, sending it plowing down into the streets. (**Author's Note: MY CABBAGES!**) Someone grabbed him by his shoulders, and he struggled until he realized that it was a metalbender policeman. He tried speaking, but the words wouldn't come out of his mouth. The world got dimmer and dimmer, and then all he could see was darkness.

**Author's Note: So, how'd you like that? Please note that I am not the master of Avatar universe, so I apologize if any of my facts was inconsistent with the Avatar lore.** **Please review and stay tuned for more episodes! I found out that writing fight scenes with 'Agni Kai' theme on made it that much more epic XD. Anyhow, thanks for reading, peace out!**

**P.S. I couldn't think of the title of the story until I finished writing**

**-The Burning Cheese**


	2. Chapter 2

**Protect and Serve**

**Chapter 2**

There was a surge of bright light burning his eyes, making him raise his hand to block out the blinding light. Shimon slowly opened his eyes to a ceiling lamp, shining down on his face, attached to the ceiling, which was painted white. He turned his head to the right, revealing a door being kept open by a piece of wood jammed into the hinges at the bottom of the door. The chairs to the left of the door was left empty, with some people walking by, some in white coats and others in police force armors. Shimon realized that he is lying on a bed in the Police headquarters infirmary.

He tried to raise himself up, but someone pushed him down. He didn't realize until now that there had been a person standing to the left of his bed. He turned around and found chief Beifong, keeping one hand on his chest to keep him from getting up.

"Hey, chief." He said with a quiet voice out of shame, staring at the ceiling to avoid making eye contact with the police chief.

"Officer Shimon, the medic says you should rest until your injuries are healed." Lin explained, slowly lifting her hand off his chest. "I am here for your account of the kidnapping."

Shimon wasn't sure what his boss was talking about. "Kidnapping? Who?" then he remembered. "Zolt?"

"Yes, tell me what happened."

"I-I went to see him off after he paid bail. His driver opened the car's door, and then the whole thing exploded. I-Is he dead?"

"Zolt?"

"No, the driver."

"I'm afraid he is, and that makes you our only reliable witness as the guards was shocked unconscious and they can't tell anything about the incident."

"There were chi blockers, two of them. They took Zolt." Shimon could feel his throat dry up inside him. "Can I have some water?" he pleaded.

"Here." Chief Beifong grabbed a ceramic cup from the side of his bed and put it against his mouth. Shimon used his own hand to tilt the cup over, greedily drinking down the water until the cup was dry.

"There was another one armed with electrified kali sticks. Snuck up on me and knocked me out. That's all I can remember." Shimon turned to face Lin Beifong. "I'm sorry, chief. I was there and I flopped. I understand that I'm here just because of my father, but I really do try my best."

"You did as much as you could do, officer Shimon. Now get some rest." Lin walked around his bed towards the door.

"Chief!" he managed a pathetic shout, which sounded more like a wheeze. Lin turned to face him. "How long was I out, and have they found Zolt?"

"Don't worry, officer, you were only out for eighteen hours. As for Zolt, I have something to tell you." The police chief sat on one of the visitor chairs.

"He's dead too?" Although Shimon had a dislike for Zolt, he would not wish for anyone to lose their life, especially when that person was under his protection.

"No, he's not. It's a long story, but I suppose you got time, lying in that bed." Lin shifted her posture, crossing her legs. "Have you ever heard of the Equalists?"

"I've heard of 'em. Their name show up sometimes on riot control and vandalism reports, but other than that, I have no idea."

"Well, it seems that we have greatly underestimated them. Basically, they are an anti-bender community of non benders, containing both people who were abused by benders and those who just thought it was a good idea to join. They've been training chi blockers and apparently, according to your accounts, they have been acquiring high-tech weapons as well."

"Sounds like bad news for Zolt. Did they rough him up?" Shimon sat up from his bed.

"Stay here and rest, officer. And no, they did not rough him up. They did something no one thought anyone could."

Shimon lowered his head, looking grim. "What did they do?"

"Their leader, Amon took away his bending." Lin sounded like she did not even believe what she said herself.

"Took away his bending? You mean, they blocked his chi?"

"No, whatever this Amon guy did, it's permanent. He's a non-bender now, along with a few of his men."

"But that shouldn't be possible! Only the-"

"I know, only the Avatar has done such feats before. At first, I didn't believe it as well, but I had multiple witnesses. One of my witnesses is the new Avatar herself. She said that Amon took away bending abilities from Zolt and his men. Again, the medics said that you should stay down until you have recovered."

"I've recovered enough, Chief. No offense, but it's just a little electric shock. I'll live." Shimon grabbed his clothes off the bedside table. He slid off his bed on the right side, when suddenly, the world blurred again and he lost all feeling in his body. He went down to his hands and knees before he even knew it, and Lin helped him up.

"Are you all right?" Chief Beifong asked, concerned.

"Just another dizzy episode, chief. I'll be fine." He got up and leaned against the wall as chief Beifong left the room. He started getting dressed when a medic in white coat came into the room.

He thought that the medic was familiar, and then he realized who she was. They first met a year ago, when the drill sergeant was showing the police academy cadets to the headquarters. At that time, he grabbed the short straw and was tasked to show the cadets around. One of the cadets was overly enthusiastic, always having one question or another. That cadet's name was Lili. She had a circle-rounded shape face with long, dark, wavy hair running down past her shoulders. She was shorter than most people her age, but it may just be because Shimon himself is taller than most people.

"You should be in bed!" she said, oblivious of whom he is.

"I see you made it past Police academy." He replied, ignoring her earlier remark.

"Ehh… how'd you know that? That's freaky!"

He squinted his eyes, irritated with the remark that he was 'freaky'. However, he was too tired to argue. "When you first came here when you were a cadet, I had the job of showing you guys around. Name's Shimon." He extended his hand out for a handshake.

She shook his hand, smiling. "I'm Lili. I'm sorry I don't remember you."

"It's fine." Shimon shrugged as he finished dressing up. He opened the door and walked outside.

"Wait! I said you have to stay in the room!" Lili yelled at him from inside the room.

"I'm leaving! If you don't like it you can take it up with Chief Beifong." He yelled back swatting imaginary flies on top of his head with his right arm.

It was high noon, and he walked towards his desk in the main hall, where he noticed a group of policemen sitting in a circle, talking. He walked towards the circle, prying it open far enough to move his head in.

"Anything up?" he asked. The other men stopped talking and looked at him.

"Yeah, I hear someone's having it out for the Chief. Someone on the council." One of the metalbenders whispered.

"That's crazy. Chief has a perfect track record! Where are they going to get a better one?"

"Shh!" the policeman raised a finger up to his mouth, telling him to quiet down. "Maybe not, but you know Chief Beifong. No one can put a leash on her without losing a hand. Those council people would prefer someone they can control than someone efficient. They're control freaks, I tell ya."

"But which councilman would want the chief out? The Fire Nation rep? Or Earth Kingdom?"

"Nah, there's only Tenzin and Tarrlok. The others are just Tarrlok's puppets. I've been to council meetings a few times, and whatever Tarrlok votes, those pompous fools would always follow him like a herd of koala sheeps. Maybe Tenzin is trying to install a new police chief to even the odds out in the council room."

"Why would the Avatar's son want Toph Beifong's daughter out?"

"Hey, it's politics, man. Anything's possible. From what I can see, all politicians and nutbags anyways. Anyhow, when you were asleep, Tarrlok just announced that he was going to build up a taskforce to combat the Equalists. One of the council couriers arrived here this morning when I was on reception shift and told me to give this to you." Shimon was handed an envelope, which he tore open.

"What's this? An invitation to join Tarrlok's taskforce? Why would Tarrlok want me in his taskforce?"

"Plenty of metalbending police officers have received Tarrlok's invitation already. Maybe he's just trying to appease your dad, who knows?"

"In that case, I'm turning it down." Shimon held up the paper, about to tear it to pieces. He did not like being reminded of how sheltered he was because of his father. One of the reasons that he tried to join the police force was to show people that he could be independent and not live under his father's shadow, and he only reluctantly accept his father's help on joining the Republic city police force as a Fire Nation liaison.

"Woah, woah, hold on buddy." The metalbender seized his forearm. "Look, it may look bad, but let me give you some advice. Tarrlok's a poker faced politician, but this taskforce could give you quite a career boost."

Shimon held up the invitation, reconsidering the offer. Joining the taskforce would let him dig deeper into the Equalists as well as further his career. He folded the paper up and put it in his pocket. "You know what? I think I'm going to join the taskforce." He turned around and told the police officers as he walked away from the group to his desk.

**AUTHOR'S NOTES: A bit short for this episode, I thank you for reading this chapter (which to be honest, is a bit short compared to chapter 1). I don't have much to say, but thank you and please review and comment or criticize the story, so that I may be able to improve it . I understand that this is a filler-ish chapter, but I will be building upon this.**

**-The Burning Cheese**


	3. Chapter 3

**Protect and Serve**

**Chapter 3**

Shimon stood in front of the briefing room as he talked to the doorman, wearing the task force uniform and a dark grey helmet, decorated with golden ornaments with arms crossed behind his back. The doorman was stationed to prevent imposters from infiltrating the task force meeting, and requested official documents proving that he is one of the men in the task force. Shimon handed the folder in his hand over to the doorman, who scanned through it quickly, flipping pages every few seconds until he reached the end. The doorman handed the official documents back to Shimon, sliding the door open. Shimon realized that there was only one empty seat, meaning that he was last to arrive. Every pair of eyes in the room was trained on him as he walked over to his seat, trying not to make eye contact.

He sat down in the briefing room in a group of men in the task force, made to take down Amon and the Equalists. The room was small and cramped, with men and women wearing identical uniforms as his, their helmets on their respective table. The walls were painted very light grey, with an elevated stage erected at the front of the room with a pedestal in the middle of it, along with an empty board behind the pedestal. He took off his helmet and placed it on the table like the other officers.

They waited for several minutes until councilman Tarrlok stepped into the room, followed by the doorman and a dark skinned teenage girl with a ponytail and two tied up clumps of her hair hanging forwards. Shimon recognized her as the Avatar from the newspaper where she held a press conference as she arrived in Republic City. Councilman Tarrlok stood behind the pedestal, the Avatar and the doorman behind him. He cleared his throat, and began his speech.

"Firstly, I must thank everyone here for joining the task force." The councilman began. "Each and every single one of you has chosen to step up and take upon a great responsibility of protecting the Republic City and the United Republic of Nations against the Equalist threat. I am much honored to work with all of you to protect the peace. Today, we begin to fight back against Amon and his terrorists and show them and the citizen of Republic City, both benders and non-benders, that we do not fear the Equalists, and that they will be brought to justice."

"I would like to bring you to the point of this task force meeting here. As you may be aware, tonight is the night we will conduct our first official operation that this task force will undertake. We have reasons to believe that there is an illegal Equalist chi blocker's training camp… here." The doorman unrolled a map of Republic city, pinning it onto the wall behind the pedestal. Tarrlok pointed his finger towards an apartment block in the western harbor. "It is important to show the people of Republic city that we are not helpless against the Equalist threats. Our men have conducted surveillance of the training camp." The doorman unrolled several photographs of a building taken on different angles, pinning it on the board.

"This may seem like a deserted settlement at face value, however, the training camp is underground, as you can see from the light emitted from the small windows at the base of the house. With the help of the metalbending police force, we have found that there is a tunnel network beneath the building. As for the tactics, there will be two fronts to this raid. The first will be the main spearhead, consisting of earthbenders, waterbenders, and the Avatar. Water will be used to create a tunnel into the camp and subdue the targets, and then we will move in and arrest any stragglers in the tunnel network then secure the area."

"The firebenders will move in and secure the first floor, then find an access point to the tunnel network. After that, they will split into two teams; one team will enter the tunnel network, assisting the main spearhead in subduing stragglers, and the other team will secure the entrance to prevent escape. Although we predict that the underground will be the only part of the building used by the Equalists, we will work our way up and secure the building. Any questions?" Tarrlok said, his arms open. "Very well then, Avatar Korra, would you like to say anything?" he turned to the teenage girl.

From the looks of the Avatar, Shimon knew that she was about to say no, but she closed her eyes and inhaled, nodding as she realized that Tarrlok wasn't giving her a choice and wanted the Avatar to inspire the men. Councilman Tarrlok stepped off the pedestal and Korra took his place.

She thought for a short moment before she started to speak. "As the Avatar, I must thank all of you for joining to protect Avatar Aang's legacy, the Republic City. It is our job to see to it that the people of Republic city are safe from Amon. Thank you." She stepped off the pedestal. Shimon looked over to Tarrlok, who had the facial expression of someone slightly unsatisfied, but he continued anyhow.

"It is time to begin the operation. Grab your gear and get ready." He announced, before leaving the room.

**An Hour Later**

Shimon say with his head down, staring at his helmet reflecting off the moonlight shining through the back of the truck. Behind them was a truck towing a tank loaded with water for the waterbenders to use. The driver of the truck was sitting stern, unmoving. Opposite him was a helmeted firebender, looking at a small ball of fire in his palm, which also reflected off Shimon's helmet sitting on his lap. There were also three more people in the back of the truck, all helmeted, sitting up straight waiting for the truck to move.

A slightly fat, older man stepped into the back of the back of the truck and took the last remaining seat, squeezing himself against another firebender. He closed the back door of the truck, blocking the moonlight to his helmet. "I'm Moku, and I'll be leading the squad. We've just got the green light. We'll secure the first floor then we're going into the tunnel network while the other squad secures the entrance." Moku introduced himself as the truck's engine started. Shimon ran his right hand down his helmet, grabbing it and turning it around before he put it on. The ride was a quiet one, the firebenders sat in silence in various postures.

The truck soon pulled to a stop in front of the complex. Moku opened the back of the truck and grabbed a radio from under his seat. The firebenders disembarked from their vehicle and moved swiftly to the door, leaning against the walls, some ducking under the windows. Moku rotated a button on the radio until a heavily crackled, muffled voice was speaking through the radio. He calibrated the radio a little bit until the interference wore off.

"Fire team, are you receiving? I repeat, Fire team, are you receiving?" Tarrlok's crackled voice spoke through the radio.

Moku set down the radio and spoke in to the microphone. "This is Fire team. We're receiving loud and clear. We're in position and on standby, awaiting orders."

They waited for a long moment until Tarrlok spoke through the radio again. "The operation is a go. I repeat, the operation is a go." A loud explosion sounded from the other side of the building, followed by loud shouting and more explosions.

Moku stood up in a firm stance and kicked the door, which jolted loudly. He gave it another kick and the door burst open, firebenders flooding into the room. Suddenly, a silhouette dropped from above and tripped a firebender over. Another firebender was hit by a weighed cable, restraining him. Everything fell into chaos as green smoke covered the room, limiting Shimon's vision to nothing. He coughed twice before he covered his mouth with his hand, his other hand trying futilely to wave the smoke away with his other hand.

A figure in front of him gave a multitude of punches at someone else in the green cloud, making Shimon realize that it was a chi blocker. Shimon tackled the chi blocker from behind, sending them to the ground outside the smoke. While the chi blocker recovered, Shimon got into a mounting position and pushed the chi-blocker in the back of the head, smacking the chi-blocker's face into the floor, disorienting him. The chi-blocker started to move again, so Shimon pushed the chi-blocker's head again, knocking him out.

Several burst of flames flew out from the smoke, sending another chi blocker flying into the wall, knocking him out. Everyone was shouting and throwing fire wildly. The smoke was starting to clear, and Shimon saw an armored figure on the ground. Shimon rushed into the smoke and dragged the casualty out of the green smoke. One of the fallen peacekeeper's sleeves was on fire, and Shimon patted it out with his armored gauntlet. He examined the injuries, and noticed that the man was badly burned, repeatedly shouting out "Friendly fire! Friendly fire!"

The smoke has cleared and Moku was fighting against two chi blockers, dodging the blows faster than a normal man of his size would. He grabbed a chi blocker's arm which was about to strike him and threw the smaller chi blocker over his shoulder, who landed hard on his back and didn't get a chance to get up as several firebenders pressed him down and restrained him.

The other chi blocker tried to use Moku's opening to strike, but Moku lashed out with a wide high kick, throwing out a torrent of flame which caused the chi blocker to back away from the heat. Moku assumed a boxing stance and threw out half a dozen fire punches in quick succession, which the chi blocker dodged. Moku punched wide, throwing an arc of flame out, which the chi blocker ducked to avoid. However, the chi blocker brought his head low when he ducked and wasn't expecting Moku's flaming knee reaching up to meet his face. The strike connected, cracking the chi blocker's mask, rendering the chi blocker unconscious before he or she even hit the ground.

"What are you waiting for, jabber jaws! Orders are to search for a way down!" Moku took off his helmet, showing a man around the age of sixty with grey, curly hair and a long, messy scruffy white beard. He had large, menacing green eyes and a missing front tooth. The firebender began searching everywhere, behind the drawers, under the stairs. It took only a minute to find the entrance, as Shimon treaded around the building; he heard a different footstep sound as he stepped on a small carpet. He grabbed the carpet and raised it up, showing a trapdoor.

"Hey! Take a look!" he shouted to the firebenders, who quickly ran over to him.

"My team, follow me down! The rest of yer sorry bums, stay here and secure the entrance!" Moku shouted orders as he climbed down the trapdoor, which barely fit his body. Shimon lightly grabbed the handle one handed and slid down it like he would slide down a cable from a metalbending police force airship. The others followed quickly into the dark tunnel, lit only by a few lamps jammed into the dirt walls. They could hear loud, rapid footsteps and shouting from inside the tunnel. Two people, a man in brown pants and vest and a woman in green dress with a piece of cloth covering their mouth and nose. **(AUTHOR'S NOTE: Note that "Voice in the Night" Equalist raid, two Equalists ran from Tarrlok and Korra and as they chased them two chi blockers dropped from above. I doubt that those are the runners as I doubt that those two can change from civilian into chi blocker clothes, laid out a trip wire and hid in the ceiling within a few seconds of leaving the room) **

They stopped as they saw Shimon and the firebenders. Two more armored figures followed them, which Shimon made out to be Councilman Tarrlok and Avatar Korra. The Equalists looked confused, not knowing what to do being trapped between the Avatar and the firebenders. Shimon could see the fear in the eyes of the woman in green dress. The Equalists turned around and around again as the task force closed in on them. The female Equalist, in despair, undid the piece of cloth covering her face, going down on her knees with her hands up. "I surrender!" she shouted in a shaking voice.

Suddenly, the male Equalist pulled his comrade up, drew out a knife from his pocket and put it against the other Equalist's throat. "Let us leave peacefully, or she dies!" He shouted at Tarrlok, pressing the point of his knife closer to the female Equalist's throat to prove his point.

Tarrlok raised his head, giving the Equalists a smug look. The hostage started to cry, tears rolling down her cheeks in fear. "Why, Should I care for the welfare of an Equalist?" Tarrlok spoke, raising his left arm.

"Hong, wha- what are you doing?" the woman whispered, sobbing.

"You're a traitor!" The man shouted. "I thought you were devoted to our cause, to Amon! Those benders are oppressors, taking advantage of us at every turn! It's time for us to rise against them and fight for equality! If you have joined, then you are willing to give your life for our cause, and if you are not, I will see to it that you do!"

"Please, Hong, please don't do this…"

The Avatar shot an angry look at Tarrlok. "Let her go, or else." She said adamantly at the Equalist , one of her fists on fire.

Korra stepped forwards, and the Equalist turned towards her, which meant they turned away from Shimon and the firebenders. Shimon saw the chance and decided to take it. Shimon took his helmet off, dropping it on the ground as he took a stable stance, creating a circular motion with his arms, inhaling as he blinked hard. He opened his eyes and exhaled as he thrust his right arm, with two protruding fingers forwards, aimed at the Equalist's back. The Equalist turned his head around upon the crackling noise, but it was too late. The lighting struck him and the female Equalist in the back, causing him to drop the knife and both of them to fall unconscious at the same time.

The firebenders moved in to secure the prisoner as Moku and the others secured the area. The waterbenders and the earthbenders caught up to them and the Equalist prisoners was carried out onto the streets through the tunnel the waterbenders created for the press to see their work. They stood behind the prisoners, their arms crossed behind their backs as the photographers took their photos, flashing and clicking rapidly.

Councilman Tarrlok walked over to him as he was about to enter the back of his squad's truck after the photo shoot. He saluted at the councilman, standing straight. Tarrlok put a hand on his shoulder.

"Nice initiative back there, officer." Tarrlok praised him as he walked over to the press to give an official statement.

Shimon stepped into the back of the truck and sat down, sighing. It wasn't long until Moku and the firebenders joined them in the truck. "Good work out there, everyone. I look forward to working with you jabber jaws again." Moku announced as the truck drove off.


	4. Chapter 4

**Protect and Serve**

**Chapter 4**

Shimon reached the top of the stairs as he walked along the concrete corridor lit dimly by light bulbs hanging from cables which goes into the ceiling. The crescent moon shone to his left in a starless night sky. Below, the streets ran wild with Satomobiles prowling the streets and a few pedestrians on the sidewalk walking by, mostly looking at the ground in front of them. Shimon reached his room, which was lit by a blinking light bulb, turning itself on and off periodically. The light bulb breaks every few weeks or so, and although he has talked about it to the landlord, it had not been replaced for a long time.

At least the light inside his room wasn't broken, Shimon thought as he unlocked the door. He opened the door, revealing a dark room. He flipped the light switch, flooding his room with light. Although his father is a wealthy politician in the Fire Nation, Shimon himself lived off police salary. The place contained only a medium sized bedroom and a tiny bathroom next to the entrance. The bed was as messy as he left it in the morning, and he had realized that he forgot to turn off his bedside lamp for the whole day.

He looked down and saw an envelope slid through the bottom of the door. Shimon picked it up and read the address. He recognized the address to be his home in the Fire Nation, which would mean that the letter was from his father. He started taking off his police uniform, removing the metal gauntlets from his arms before he sat down on his undone bed and started to read the letter.

_Dear Shimon,_

_How's it been in Republic City, son? I have been quite busy myself, so I did not get to send a letter to you earlier. Councilman Tarrlok told me that he's recruited you into his taskforce. Just try not to overdo yourself, son. I understand that police work and task force work together is a lot, so get some rest._

Although the letter was short, he smiled at it. His father hadn't contacted him all year. He was going to put the letter down, when he noticed the footnote at the bottom of the paper.

_P.S. Your sister is coming over to visit you for a few days. Be nice to her._

Shimon let out a frustrated growl, burrowing his face into his palm. His relationship with his sister had not been one of the best. When they were little, his older sister would drive him crazy all the time, and the last time they met about ten years ago, she did not change one bit. After his parents got divorced, Shimon stayed with his father while his mother moved away with his sister. "Oh god no…" he said out loud, sighing.

**Fifteen Years Earlier**

Shimon sat down, playing with a toy soldier on the couch as their parents sat down at the table and ate their dinner. His sister was running around, making a beeline around the table. Suddenly, she plotted a sinister idea. She stopped running around and flicked Shimon on the side of his head. He jumped off the couch and impulsively ran after his smaller big sister. She crawled down under the table and out the other side. He chased her for almost an hour before their parents ended the chase.

**The Present**

Shimon heard a few knocks on the door. He dropped the letter on the couch and walked over to welcome the visitor. His sister stood out in front of the door. She had a heart-shaped face, resembling his mother's with a long, straight carefully kept hair which was dark as the night. She also inherited his father's pale skin and deep brown eyes, mirroring Shimon's. Although he hadn't seen her for over a decade, she turned out to be exactly was he imagined she would look like when she has grown up.

"Rin." Shimon spoke in a monotonous voice and a still expression.

"Oh hi, brother, I missed you as well." Rin replied sarcastically. "You can call me 'sister'. I _am _your sister, after all. Nice suit, by the way." She spoke, regarding his police armor, smiling.

That was when Shimon noticed his sister's right hand, which had a ring on the ring finger. "You're engaged?" he spoke, surprised.

"Married." She replied, still smiling.

"I never knew you were married. Never even received an invitation."

"I didn't send one because I know you wouldn't turn up. What about you, anyways? Ever thought of getting married yourself?"

"Never crossed my mind." Shimon replied casually, sitting him down on the couch, removing his leg plates. "Look sis, you must be tired from all that travelling. Why don't you get some sleep? I'll take the couch." Shimon changed the topic as he was exhausted from the day and just wanted to get some rest. Rin started unpacking as Shimon pulled himself out of his chest plate, falling asleep on the couch instantly.

**The Next Afternoon**

Shimon came home as he realized that he had forgotten some of his police files in his apartment. He reached the front door and found it half opened. Rin must have forgotten to lock the door when she left, he thought, until he saw that the doorknob was hallow. Someone has broken the lock and let themselves in. Shimon opened the door and saw his room ravaged, the window broken and the wardrobe fallen over, with a large chunk of ice melting on the couch. The bathroom door was also forced open, the mirror inside broken and water puddles splashed everywhere in the room.

Rin's purse was on the floor, and knowing his sister, Shimon knew that she wouldn't go outside without it. He had concluded that someone broke into his home and kidnapped his sister. He searched the room quickly, and found a piece of torn cloth under the bed. He examined it, and found a red rose sewn into the ripped cloth. Rin had always been stubborn, and would never give up without a fight, which was confirmed by the ripped cloth.

**Police Headquarters**

Shimon filed the missing persons report to the police department. He walked along the corridor of the main hall, as busy as ever with civilians giving statements and a long queue waiting to report more crimes to the metalbender police force. He grabbed a piece of cloth out of his pocket and stared at it, hoping to remember something that would relate to the kidnapping, but to no avail. He had never seen this symbol of the red rose before. He kept walking around the headquarters impatiently and found himself in the infirmary. He was concentrated on the ripped piece of cloth he wasn't looking where he was walking as he bumped into someone. He dropped his piece of cloth and the person he ran into dropped a bunch of files and books.

"Sorry, I wasn't looking." Shimon said, bending down to pick the things up. He looked up and realized that he bumped into Lili, who was now in full police uniform. Lili picked up the cloth with the red rose sewn into it, curious.

"What's this?" she asked as he picked up the files.

At first he was going to say that it was nothing, but then he understood that he needed as much help as he could find to get his sister back. "My sister was kidnapped this afternoon. I went to my place, and there was still some waterbended ice still frozen in the room, so they couldn't have gone far. I found that under the bed." He pointed at the piece of cloth. "You know what that is? I want to find her as soon as possible, and a missing persons report may take too long to process."

"Oh, I'm so sorry…" Lili replied, sympathetic, putting one hand on his shoulder. "I think I can help, though! It's the symbol of the Crimson Rose triad. They're pretty small-time, but I did a case study on them in police academy."

"So you know where they are?"

"No; all I know is what the symbol means. As for where you can find a Crimson Rose, I have no idea. I'm sorry I can't be much help, and I don't know where to find someone who knows where to go, either."

Lili's statement formed an idea in Shimon's mind. "I think I do." He said to himself as he handed the files back to Lili. He turned around and started to walk towards the main entrance of the police headquarters.

"Where are you going?" Lili asked him before he turned around.

"I'm going to meet an old friend." Shimon replied with determination, grasping the piece of cloth tight in his hand. He decided that it was time he paid a visit to Zolt.

"Then I'm going with you too!" Lili exclaimed, smiling, much to Shimon's surprise.

**Zolt's Mansion**

Zolt wasn't the type of criminal who hides from the law. He exploited its rules and loopholes. He left no evidences, at least ones that could incriminate him enough to make his life difficult anyways. Zolt was very familiar to the justice system, and he can operate his entire triad without being hunted by the police, even though everyone knows of his illegal exploits.

Shimon and Lili got off the squad car in front of Lightning Bolt Zolt's gigantic, hulking luxurious three- story mansion with a water fountain out front and a garden filled with various plants and flowers. Two men, probably armed or a bender of some sort, stood outside the front gate. Shimon walked up to the front gate before being stopped by a henchman.

"What do you want?" the henchman asked, stepping in front of Shimon. Although Shimon is a tall man by general standards, this henchman towered over him, with large muscles. The henchman made Lili look even smaller, but she wasn't the least intimidated.

"Police business!" Lili retorted, looking up at the huge man, determined.

"Got a warrant?" obviously, this henchman had been told how to deal with the police.

Shimon stepped in between them. "Just tell him it's officer Shimon."

The large henchman disappeared for a few minutes as the other guard kept watch on them. He never returned, but a lean, scrawny butler walked outside to receive them instead, inviting Shimon and Lili in. They walked past a corridor filled with various beautiful painting, lighted by a chandelier with a long, probably expensive carpet along the whole hallway. They were led past a large lounge, where more of Zolt's men stood guard as maids and butlers criss-cross the hallway going about on their business. They were led to a small office, with bookshelves on both sides of the room, a hardwood table sitting near the window with various files and documents on it. The wheeled chair was turned around to face the open window, the afternoon sunlight shining through.

The chair rotated around, showing Zolt, who looked much more wary and tired than Shimon had ever seen. "Good afternoon, officer. I haven't been expecting you." **(Author's Note: Thumbs up for anyone who gets the reference!)**

"Lightning Bolt Zolt." Shimon replied, staring the crime lord in the eye.

"Please, it's just Zolt now. Everything hasn't been the same since Amon…" Zolt changed the topic. "What the heck ya' want, pal?"

"I want to find the Crimson Rose triad." Shimon stepped closer, putting his hands onto the finely crafted table. "I suppose you'd be the one who knows about where to find dirty criminals?"

"True. True that, but why should I help you anyways? You're a cop and since you got no warrant, I don't have to tell you anything."

Lili stepped forwards, about to say something, but Shimon stopped her. "I'll handle this one, alright?" he raised a hand to stop her. Lili was evidently not fine with this, but she backed down. Shimon turned back to Zolt. "Well, for an instance, we will be taking out the competition for you."

"Crimson Rose is small time. I don't even consider them competition." Zolt continued carelessly. The criminal put his hand on his mouth, pondering for a moment before coming to a conclusion. "How about this? I help you, and you owe me." Zolt finally said with a cruel smirk.

Lili turned to Shimon as they both know that being a police officer, owing a man like Zolt is very dangerous, and Shimon knew that when Zolt collects, he wouldn't like it. However, the most important thing at that moment was finding his sister, so Shimon conceded. "Fine, I owe you. Now tell me."

Zolt leaned back on his chair, satisfied. "I can do better, I can show you. But first, you have to give your word that what you are about to see is inadmissible for my arrest."

"I give you my word."

They were led to an unusually dark room, with a singly light bulb hanging from the ceiling. The middle of the room stood a single old chair, and a man only in his underwear, with various bruises and injuries on his body. The man was a Crimson Rose, beaten up by Zolt's men. Shimon turned to Lili and noticed a worried look in her eyes, as she had never seen something like this before. Shimon gave the man a light shake as the injured man woke up slowly, his eyes slowly opening.

"I'm going to ask you a few questions." Shimon said, grabbing the man on his shoulders. "Your triad kidnapped someone this afternoon. A girl in her mid twenties, black long hair, pale skin. Ever seen that?"

The man was not answering, so Shimon gave him a light slap on one of his cheeks. The man jerked away, terrified. "I-I don't know anything." The man replied, panting with his eyes closed.

"You've got to do better than that." Shimon pressed his thumb on one of the man's bruises on his shoulder, causing the man to scream out.

"Okay! Okay! We kidnapped a government official's daughter. We're going to ship her to the Fire Nation to make a ransom at sunset!"

"What kind of boat will they be travelling in?" Shimon continued, but the man wasn't talking. "WHAT KIND!" it was almost sunset, and they were running out of time.

"A fishing boat! Wooden, small sized, single cabin. Please, let me go! I don't know anything else!" the Crimson Rose yelled out in fear.

"We have to get to the western harbor! Quickly!" Shimon started to run, half dragging Lili with him.

As they exited the room, Zolt was standing outside, blocking their way. "Look, you owe me, and I'm collecting." Zolt announced.

"I'm in a hurry." Shimon replied impatiently, moving past Zolt.

"If you see Amon," Zolt shouted out at him. "Kick his arse for me!"

Shimon turned around and nodded at the crime lord as they ran to the squad car.

**Sunset, Western Harbor**

The car came to a sudden stop before Shimon swiftly stepped out of the car. He looked around the busy harbor, full of people loading and unloading wooden boxes into large cargo boats. They looked around for a wooden fishing boat, but the sky was getting darker and darker by the minute, the darkness closing in on the horizon.

"There!" Lili exclaimed out, pointing at a silhouette in the waters. There was a wooden fishing boat with a single cabin slowly sailing away from the port.

"We're too late…" Shimon went down on his knees in despair, realizing that the boat was too far away from the port and they won't be able to reach it.

"No. No, we're not." Lili grabbed onto him, sending two metal cables out at two roofs, before using her metalbending to rein it in so quickly that it created a slingshot movement, sending them sailing flying across the water. At first, Shimon thought that they were not going to make it, but they landed on top of the cabin, Lili landing on one knee, Shimon rolling off the cabin down onto the deck.

Shimon found himself against two men on the deck. Rin was sitting on the deck too, tied up and gagged. One of them threw a kick, sending out a fire blast, which Shimon blocked with a circular motion of his arms. The other man bended the sea water, throwing it at him. He ducked down as the water blast hit the cabin behind him, creating a chunk of ice sticking to the wall.

Suddenly, Lili jumped from above, delivering a kick to the Waterbender's chest, who staggered backwards, knocking Rin into the water. The waterbender regained balance and conjured a small wave of water washing over the deck, but Lili closed in swiftly and elbowed the waterbender's throat, sending him gasping for air, losing control of the water. The waterbender threw out a powerful hook, which Lili leaned backwards just out of reach, throwing a metal cable which latched itself onto the waterbender's arm. She jerked the cable, pulling the waterbender towards her, kneeing him in the crotch. He went down on his knees in pain, but Lili did not show any mercy. She spun around, kicking him in the head, sending the waterbender overboard.

"Go after her!" Shimon shouted over, blocking another fire blast.

Lili heeded his advice and dived into the water after Rin, leaving Shimon and the firebender to a duel. Shimon threw out two fire blasts at the firebender, who blocked one with his arms and sidestepped away from the other, throwing out another blast as he dodged. Shimon made a roundhouse kick, sending out a wave of fire, destroying the fire blast, making the firebender back away from the heat. He didn't wait and charged in with a flaming uppercut but the firebender stepped around him, dodging the blow.

Shimon kicked backwards, sending out a fireball, which his enemy blocked with ease, but he did it to give no opening as he turned around with a two handed fire punch. The firebender tried to block the punch, but couldn't and was sent flying into the cabin wall. Shimon advanced quickly, putting his fist in front of the man's face before he could counterattack. The man backed down as Shimon drew out a metal cable and tied him up with it. He stood on the side of the boat, waiting.

He was about to dive in when he saw a blurry darkness on the surface of the water. Lili surfaced with Rin, unconscious. She handed his sister over to Shimon, who ungagged and untied her. He tried to wake her up, but she wasn't moving.

"I'll handle this; I'm the medic. You turn the boat around!" Lili exclaimed at him.

The captain of the boat was cooperative enough and turned the boat around. When they reached the port, Shimon stepped out of the cabin after restraining the ship captain to check on his sister, who was still unconscious. Lili was kneeling next to his sister, facing away from him. He walked up and went down on one knee next to her. That was when he turned to her and noticed that she was crying, tears streaming down her cheeks.

"She's not breathing…" Lili spoke, sobbing. "I tried everything, but she won't come to."

Shimon yet again found himself in despair. Although he never liked his sister much, Rin was still his sister, and was a part of his life for over ten years. Emotions surged through him as a tear rolled down his cheek. He turned around to the firebender who was tied down, helpless. It was the Crimson Rose's fault. If they hadn't kidnapped her, she would still be alive. He did not care about anything else anymore. He started to make a circular motion with his arms, preparing for lightning generation.

"W-what are you doing!" The Crimson Rose exclaimed in fear.

Shimon exhaled, continuing his circular motion, lightning crackling in his fingers.

Lili turned around, horrified. "No, Shimon! Stop!" she yelled at him.

Ignoring Lili, he took a stance and exhaled. He thrusted his right hand, two fingers protruding from it towards the firebender. Suddenly, Lili jumped out between him and the Crimson Rose. His firebending teacher once said that unlike fire, lightning is a force to be reckoned with. It is something with greater power than the firebender itself. It is a force that is uncontrollable, and the bender is simply its humble guide, leading it towards the direction. Once it is released, nothing can stop it except another firebender who knew how to redirect lightning. Shimon tried to stop the lightning, but to no avail. It was too powerful. Shimon has stored enough current into it to kill someone, and Lili had just jumped in front of it.

Suddenly, he could feel heat from his hand as fire exploded in his face, sending him to the ground with his armor charred. Lili ran over to him and wrapped her arms around him, crying.

"Why...?" Shimon spoke, confuses as he looked upon his burned hand.

"It is because your spirit was in turmoil. You were fighting against yourself, inside." A voice rang out from behind them.

Shimon turned around and saw an old man with wrinkled skin, wearing a hooded crimson robe, covering his eyes and nose. The old man walked over to them slowly, but sure footed. "To generate lightning, the bender is required to have a complete absence of emotion and a peace of mind. If not, you will only harm yourself." The old man smiled, kneeling down next to Rin. "Listen, and listen closely." The old man moved his hand, hovering it over his sister's face. "The fire you use does not have to be a flame of rage and destruction. Fire has potential to be so much more than barbaric devices of war. Fire, my friend, can also represent energy and life." Warm rays of light emitted from the old man's hand, as color started to return to Rin's face. "I have been watching, officer. Republic city needs people like you, now more than ever." The old man stepped back, his lips creasing upwards.

Suddenly, Rin started coughing water. Shimon was now crying tears of joy as he ran over and held his sister in his arms, holding her hand. He turned around to thank the old man, but he was nowhere to be found.

**That night, Police Headquarters Infirmary**

Shimon sat at the bench beside his sister's bed. She was still unconscious, but according to the medics, she was stable now. He walked over to Rin and stroked her forehead, saying goodbye before leaving the room. As he left the room, he ran into Lili, who smiled at him.

"Thank you for being there for me." Shimon mumbled quietly. He was never good at thanking people.

Much to his surprise, Lili stepped towards Shimon and threw her arms around him. He embraced her back and smiled. "You're welcome!" Lili whispered. "Just remember, you owe me one." She finished as she pulled away.

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: Hooray for the extra long episode! This is my first attempt at a family/angst-y theme, so please comment on it if I've done it right or not. I've decided to take a break from the main plot, but we'll be diving back into that soon enough. Stay tuned!**


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